Clouded
by Envo
Summary: Itasaku Non-Massacre, Sequel to And I You. Between following her obligations and fulfilling her duties, she was lost in between. How to choose from the two, when she could only have one and not the other?
1. Chapter 1

Title- Clouded

By- Envo

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

* * *

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Chapter 1

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"They sure are late."

A leg dangling over the edge of the thick branch as its owner traced small, lazy patterns on the wooden surface with a carefully gloved hand.

"I'm not surprised."

A few branches away a silhouette shifted slightly against the trunk behind it. All was quiet in the lush forest of fire country bordering Ame, so quiet that even a small noise within two miles radius could be heard clearly with an untrained ear.

"Uchiha-san, please attempt to stay alert. We have yet to be relieved from our duties, not until a connection is established with other groups." The command slashed through the previous silence like a sharpen kunai in one swift swing.

"I am alert," came the muffled answer along the side. A hunched outline had one of its arm propped on its folded knee while the other leg stretched out along the rough surface of the bark. Under her feminine voice was the underlying annoyance and weariness as she retorted.

A low snicker spread across the empty space between the quadruple and the person in question bristled.

"Save it, Gemna. I was on a shift 'till four this morning. I won't expect you to be up with just one hour of sleep."

"I wonder what kind of shift you are on..." Genma mused out loud.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," her voice was laced with disgust as she turned away from the perverted man.

More snickers.

"Uchiha-san, I must agree with Taichou. You seemed to be… distracted these days," another voice joined the conversation (argument) along with a sigh.

"Neji-san, that was very… unusual of you to side with _him_." The tone of dismay flew across the air as the last word was directed towards the man perching on the branch innocently.

"You should know, _Uchiha-san_, that when the Hyuga decided to talk it's usually the truth," though none of them could see as each one of them had their own porcelain masks on, they could all hear the amusement so apparent in his voice as Genma taunted.

Before anyone could speak further, they were all interrupted by the same commanding voice. "The two of you, that's enough."

Silence hung once again over the quadruple heavily.

"You'll have to understand that we are all merely concern for your wellbeing."

"There is nothing wrong with me, Taichou."

"I wonder..."

"What does that suppose to mean?"

"You are obviously distressed over something, Uchiha-san. As a medic of the team—" Before the man could finish, he was cut by the agitated kunoichi with her irked response.

"—I would know if there is anything wrong with me."

Sigh. "As I was saying, it is your duty to stay in the best shape you can get in case of need. You should know this better than anyone."

A short pause in between before the question was answered with a quiet "Yes."

"Get some rest before you turn into a raccoon," Genma butted in with another round of snickers. "A raccoon with pink furs, what a sight!"

A growl emitted from the insulted medic, but no words were uttered before it was interrupted by their captain (again).

"You at your full strength would benefit the team the most, Uchiha-san. A speedy recovery is recommended. We have another mission coming up within the week."

Along the side, Genma groaned at the news. "Another mission? Are you kidding me…?"

"I don't need anyone to baby me. I'm a medic; I know how to take care of myself."

"Hardly." The smooth, deep voice came in so suddenly from behind that it made the already distressed kunoichi jumped despite being in the sitting position.

"Itachi, where did you come from?" said kunoichi asked after regaining her composure.

"Behind."

"Of course, what was I expecting…" was the quiet mutter.

Not noticing his movements, it wasn't until later did the medic found a cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders, covering her small form from head to toe.

"Standing in the rain is hardly what I call taking care of yourself… Sakura," Itachi murmured as he secured the last tie and effectively prevented the cloak from slipping off the petite form before him.

"I'm a kunoichi, Itachi. You can't expect me to stay underneath a roofed house all the time, can you?" Sakura replied dryly.

Branches away, the three remaining teammates of Sakura's ANBU team stood silently watching. Well… excluding Genma. He was, in fact, delighted to see the exchange between the renowned medic of Konoha and the prodigious ANBU captain; it was, after all, another piece of gossip he got his hands on without needing much prying around through tight-lipped friends and dodging scornful glares from the relatives of the two.

The Uchiha heir ignored the irritation rolling off her in the form of waves and turned towards the other captain.

"Kakashi-san's team will not be coming here. My team got in contact with his on our way here. He'll be heading straight towards the thirty-first rendezvous point."

"I thought so," said captain nodded in return of the new information, "Your team is heading back?"

"Yes."

"Very well," he then turned towards his own team and made a swift gesture, signaling the team to return to the village. Without asking rather or not the other ANBU captain would accompany them back, the man leaped off the branch he was leaning against and headed towards Konoha. It did not surprise him to sense Itachi moving along with his team as well, seeing as the said man had a protective streak of a ten mile radius. He had, after all, been accompanying their team on their way back to Konoha ever since the pink haired medic was assigned into his squad. As troubling as it was, he had gotten used to the frequent visits by the other ANBU captain since week one.

The journey back was a quiet one as the team of five raced back towards their home.

* * *

After their feet landed in front of the gates of Konoha, everything went like a haze in Sakura's mind as her feet dragged her suddenly very tired body around with her squad then followed Itachi's steps back to the Uchiha district. She tried to figure out just why she was feeling the waves of fatigue when the sun was still high in the sky, but the veil of sleep was already over her head by the time they stepped foot into the house of the head of the clan.

Half swaying on her feet, she leaned against Itachi's arm for support as he guided her to their room. The trip may have been a short one if not for her current condition, which made it seemed ten times longer. She then collapsed on the neatly-made bed without so much of a thought to the uniform that still clung to her skin when they finally stopped at the foot of the king size bed.

A soft sigh was the only thing in the room that was heard besides the steady inhaling and exhaling as Itachi removed the outer pieces of the uniform, leaving Sakura clad in the thin black vest-like top and its matching back pants. Long fingers moved swiftly to remove the remaining weapons hidden between the folded cloth, her weapon pouch and underneath the bandages wrapped around her ankles. Leaving the removed gears and garments on the nearby nightstand, Itachi unconciously tangled his slender fingers into the pink tresses.

"You never know how to take care of yourself…" the soft murmur escaped his lips while his fingers lingered against her soft, rosy cheeks before straightened up and left the room without a sound.

Taking afternoon naps was never a habit of hers, and now that she found herself lying comfortably in her bed with blankets tucked securely to her neck hours later, she was beyond irritated. She still had a shift tonight!

Struggling to untangle herself within the bed sheets and the blanket, she ended up flinging the cloth to the other end of the room before standing up in a huff. Her irritation did not last long when a wave of nausea suddenly claimed her and forced her to dash towards the bathroom.

She must have caused a ruckus during her rush to the small cubic compartment because it wasn't long before a pair of hands smoothed back her pink strands and secured them as she emptied her stomach. Sakura did not stop heaving until minutes later and now as she cleaned away the taste in her mouth, she couldn't help but noticed the strange glint in the pair of obsidian eyes.

"What?"

His response wasn't delivered until she thought he wasn't going to answer. "You are unwell," Itachi's replied gruffly.

At this, Sakura couldn't help but rolled her eyes at his stating-the-obvious reply. "Probably just an upset stomach, nothing to worry about."

He did not look convinced, and Sakura sighed. The small pounding against her temples were increasing in volume and she did not want another migraine to claim her just yet. "I'm the medic here, Itachi. What I say goes. Don't go fussing over such a small thing."

What was meant to ease the tenseness off his shoulders only succeed in another raise of eyebrows as disbelieve slowly showed on his normally stoic, angular face. But fortunately for her, he did not press the matter further as both of them had things to do that night; mission reports for him and hospital shifts for her.

Night shifts in the hospital had always been able to soothe her nerves no matter what she had been through in the day. Somehow through the quiet halls of the hospital and the calmness of the night, she was able to regain her cherry self. Yet she stood now within the walls of the infirmary, she couldn't help but fidgeting as she fight against the urge to look up at the ticking clock, knowing not even a minute passed by since she looked up for the umpteenth time. The soft beeping of the machines only served in keeping time with the pounding within her scaple located just above her left eye, while the soft snores of her patients did little to help her current restless self.

Time went by like a snail; it was so slow that Sakura was tempted to check the small, round clock hanging on the wall just to see if it was working properly. By the time her shift was over, the word exuberant did not even begin to describe the feeling willing up inside her. It must have posed a strange sight for the people passing by, because she had almost skipped the entire way back to the house.

The dark, silent hallway cooled down her previously bubbling energy as she made her way towards the lights. At this time of night, only one person she knew would still be up, and that said person looked up to glance at her swiftly before turning back to the layers of papers piling on the oak desk. She then closed the doors, separating the hallway and their room through the piece of wood.

"Sleep early," she murmured as she took the folded nurse uniform she had changed out and stacked them on top of a pile of clothes. Her bare feet touched the cool surface of wood tiles lightly, making barely a sound before she slipped underneath the cover and grew silent. Though despite her comment, those arms which encased her within the source of warmth did not appear until hours later.

* * *

When the soft rays of light tickled her eyelids and basked her in its soft glow, she had not wanted to get up. Stifling a yawn, she kept her eyes closed while turning away from the welcoming warmth, fully intended to get back to her much-needed sleep before a thought suddenly came barging in and interrupting her sleepy daze. _The sun._

"Oh no, I'm late!"

Within a whirl of cloth she was out of the bed. Ignoring the pounding on her temples, she leaped into the bathroom only to stop and grab a set of clothes from the compartment served as the closet. After minutes of rampage in the room and loud slams of doors, she was out the room and sprinting down the hallway. The house appeared to be emptied of people, which made her trip to the front door much easier without bumping into servants or visitors.

Her foot had just touched the stone cold floor and wasn't even given a chance to slip on her boots before an arm snaked around her waist and hauled her petite form up into thin air. Within a blink of an eye, she was caged within a strong arm and was carried back to the room where she tried to get away from.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let me down! I'm late, I need to—" She squirmed in his arm, a futile attempt in freeing herself from his iron grasp. What irked her most was how she could not make him put her down, even when he was supporting her entire weight with _one_ arm; was she really that light for him to lift her up with just an arm?

"You need to rest." Onyx eyes shifted to her emerald ones as his other hand pushed open the door and entered their room once again.

"The debriefing, I need to go before shishou decides to skin me alive for being late." If this did not work, she didn't know what would to regain her freedom and save her skin from her shishou, who just happened to be _very_ bad-tempered in the mornings.

"And why didn't you wake me this morning?"

To her chagrin, Itachi appeared to not hear her as he continued his casual pace until they reached the foot of the neatly-made bed—which Sakura had mustered up the last few seconds in making before dashing out the room. Her frown did not last long before it was taken over by slight surprise as she sway on her feet when they touched the wooden floor and only succeed in not falling flat on her face if not for the arm holding her up.

"You need to rest," he repeated.

"No, I don't," her rebuke had failed, coming out in a whimper as an unexpected spike of pain shot through her temples.

"The Hokage is already informed of your situation. You do not need to attend to your duties until you've fully recovered from your cold."

Sakura sighed with defeat. "You could have just told me that earlier," she pointed out.

Itachi grunted lightly as he pulled up the comforter and tucked in the edges around her form until she was firmly engulfed in the warmth of the blanket.

"Stay in bed until I return. I will pick up some herbs on my way back," he said while smoothing back the lose strands of pink from her pink cheeks.

Sakura snorted. "I am not sick. There is no need in feeding me medications when there is nothing wrong with me."

Itachi straightened and turned towards the door. "Don't be stubborn. Stay in bed until I'm back."

Before he was able to move away from her side, Sakura reached out a hand and grasped lightly on his white ANBU vest. "Mission?"

"Aa."

"I see," Sakura murmured and allowed her hand to drop back onto the bed as she watched him close the door quietly behind him.

It had been an hour since Itachi decided to toss her back in bed, and Sakura had yet been able to close her eyes and enjoy the extra day of rest and relaxation. Eyes blinking wide, she stared up at the ceiling painted white and marveled the way light seeped into the room through the small gap in between the blinds. But not even that could distract Sakura's mind from thinking through all the strange symptoms she'd been experiencing ever since the day before.

"This is not working," she sighed as she crawled out of bed once again. If she could not sleep, then she might as well do something to pass time.

Thankful for having her attire already on her, Sakura clipped her weapon pouch in place and marched towards the door with the bed made (again). Mikoto appeared to not return yet from the local market, as it was women's job to acquire varies of needs in the household every morning. Thankful for that, Sakura moved towards the entrance with a much slower pace this time.

The sun basked her in its glow and she could feel the warmth trickled into her body with each step she took away from the building and out of the Uchiha compound. A small smile graced her lips as she watched the daily lives of the Konoha residents unfold before her eyes. Portable carts scattered loosely on the streets while being handled by traveling merchants who were busy advertising the goods they brought from other countries, children chased after one another in a game of tag with laughter spilling into the air; all in all, it was a lively community.

A blur of orange came charging at her at the corner of her eye, and Sakura side stepped just in time to avoid the bear hug coming from her blond friend. Said friend grasped at thin air, attempted to steady himself after being dodged by his pink haired teammate. Unfortunately for him, with his momentum driving him forward still, he ended up falling face down inches behind Sakura.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura berated at the figure scrambling to stand up.

"As your teammate, I believe I deserved a hug for not being able to see you for so long. What do you think, Sakura-chan?" Naruto grinned sheepishly while dusting the remaining dirt from his orange jumpsuit.

"_Ex_-teammate, Naruto," another voice supplied before Sakura.

"Teme, you can't say you are not happy to see Sakura-chan after all these weeks, can you?"

"I would greet her in a more _calm_ way, dobe," said Uchiha muttered as he shoved his hands in pockets and walked pass Naruto. "I'll never get how you can be a successful shinobi with your _unsubtle_ ways."

"Hey, hey, I detest that!"

Sakura at the sidelines couldn't help but smiled broadly at her former teammates' banters. So many years had passed and yet none of them had changed, at least her male teammates, anyway.

After broken away from Sasuke's mocking comments concerning his skills, Naruto then turned back towards Sakura, "Sakura-chan, you want to come with us to Ichiraku? We are just on our way there."

"You never change, do you, Naruto?" Sakura smiled wryly.

"Huh?" came the clueless response. What was she expecting…?

Sakura shook her head as she fell in step with the boys. Upon leaving the house, she had yet to eat anything, and now at the mentioning of food, she felt the familiar ache in her belly. But she couldn't help but laugh inwardly. It had been long since the old Team seven had gotten together like this. Oh how she missed the playfulness they all shared when they were together years ago.

"So, Sakura-chan how'd you like being an ANBU?" Naruto asked curiously, but before Sakura could reply, Sasuke beat her to it.

"Dobe, she was already doing ANBU mission before she joined the rank, what do you think?"

Glancing at Sasuke with his brows scrunched, Naruto shrugged casually. "I don't know?"

Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh and Sakura laughed at Naruto's simple answer.

"It's busier, and harder. But I would say it was no different from what I was doing when I was still Jounin," Sakura bemused loudly as she thought back to the days when all Rookie nine were still Jounin—excluding Neji, that was.

Naruto scratched his head and grinned at her response, "I should have known even though you only made ANBU just weeks ago. Looks like I worry too much…"

Squishing the urge to raise her own eyebrow, Sakura sighed. "What about you two? Both of you reached the rank four months ago, right?"

Sasuke grunted while Naruto nodded energetically. "It was great, thought I should have been raised to ANBU long before that—"

"Not possible," Sasuke snorted at the idea.

"Are you underestimating me, Teme?" Naruto bellowed.

"Possibly."

"You want 'o go?" The commotion was quickly showing signs as villagers passing by steered away from the two infamous shinobi, consisted of a loud blond and the apathetic Uchiha along with their soon-to-be heated _conversation_.

Then, Sasuke smirked. "You won't last through the first thirty seconds, dobe."

Naruto cracked his knuckles as sneered, "The one that won't last for ten seconds would be you, Teme."

"Stop it, you two. You are causing a scene," Sakura chastised. "Look, we're here," she then pointed towards the red letters inked on the white fabric that hung from the roof of the said ramen bar.

"Ramen!" Immediately forgetting the discussion he just had with his rival, Naruto dashed towards his favoraite dining place and disappeared behind the white blinds.

Sakura rubbed her aching temples while Sasuke shook his head lightly at Naruto's childish antics. "Just how old did he think he is..." he muttered under his breath before following Naruto's trial and ducked under the welcoming banner of Ichiraku.

Inside, Sakura picked her seat beside Naruto and sat down quietly as she observed Naruto's expressive face, which lit up when those pair of cerulean eyes found the owner of his favorite ramen bar.

"Old man! It's good to see you."

"Yo, Naruto. I thought I heard you out there just now," Teuchi greeted good-naturedly at his frequent costumer.

"Teme was being himself again, so I guess I'll just have _accentuate_ that rule," Naruto wiggled his brows and directed his triumphant grin towards a quiet Sasuke on the side, "never underestimate my capacity as a shinobi."

"Dobe, you don't even know what that word means, let alone do it."

"Teme!"

"What, am I wrong?"

"You asked for it. Let's settle this in training ground three," Naruto huffed with his chin held high.

"Fine by me," Sasuke replied nonchalantly.

"The two of you, that's enough," Sakura furrowed her brow. Just when would this end?

Behind the counter, Teuchi laughed. "The usual for all three of you?"

Nods.

"Very well, three beef ramen coming right up."

Naruto then spun around to meet her gaze. "Speaking of that, do you want to come train with us when we're done? It's been a long while since we've trained together."

Scenes flashed before her eyes as Naruto's words took her back through the memories they all shared as a genin team training together. "It has been awhile," Sakura mused, the corners of her lips lifted slightly at the old memories.

"Don't you need to rest, Sakura?" Sasuke asked casually, though there was a glint in his eyes that spelled anything but casual.

"What?" With an eyebrow raised, Sakura regarded Sasuke with a suspicious gaze.

"Aniki," Sasuke explained plainly and watched realization drawn on her face.

Her pink, full lips formed an 'o' shape as she added one to one together. Meanwhile, Naruto had watched their exchange with increased confusion when finally he could not contain them anymore. "What's going on?"

Sasuke sighed. "Dobe."

"What did I do now?" Naruto wailed with a glare directed towards the young Uchiha.

Though Sakura was shaking her head madly, indicating for the Uchiha to keep the information to himself, Sasuke seemed to deem it necessary to inform Naruto of her condition. "She is sick."

The reaction was of expected. "I am not sick!"

Sasuke snorted lightly while Naruto trained his eyes upon hers. "Did that bastard of an Uchiha mistreated you?" he asked while cracking his knuckles, "I can _fix_ him up for you, Sakura-chan."

"Naruto, Itachi is not like that!" Sakura defended her spouse vigorously as her face heated up quickly.

"Dobe, you won't even be able to lay a hand on him before he send you six feet under," Sasuke added lightly, completely disregarded the steam coming out from the blond's ears.

"What was that!?"

The rest of the meal passed by similarly like it had started as the three threw playful banters at each other just like before.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to come with us, Sakura-chan?"

"Dobe, what parts of being sick don't you get?" Sasuke furrowed his brow at the oblivious Naruto.

Sakura managed to interrupt Naruto's comeback just in time as she bid the pair farewell and inwardly hoped they would remain unscratched the next time she met them, though she knew her hopes were as high as the sun raising from the west.

With her back turned from the setting sun and its blinding rays, Sakura started back towards the compound slowly. Itachi would not be back until much later, she had time. The scenery was not much different from those she had seen near mid-day, but what differed from the day were the hordes of villagers making their way back to their home and into the waiting arms of their families. Cutting through currents of people, Sakura felt very much like a fish moving against the flow and swimming up the stream instead of allowing the tide to swept her away.

The Uchiha district was not a place wondering villagers would go to; the aura the clan emitted was enough to drive anyone away, shinobi included. It had not been easy for Sakura to be accepted by the clan, and the only way through the prideful people were through their rough times. She would often spent her time walking around the district and aid those in need of her skills as a medic or just a need of accompany despite the silent protest of her spouse. And that's what she found herself doing.

"Good evening, Teyaki-san, Uruchi-san," she addressed the two elders with respect.

"Ah, Sakura-san, good day to you," Teyaki turned to inspect the young medic while his wife waved her hand energetically.

"Sakura, it's too good to see you today. You are hardly around these days," Uruchi's onyx eyes were warm unlike other signature Uchiha stares she received before.

"Missions held me up a lot these days," Sakura smiled apologetically. She had become a frequent visitor to some of the elderly in the clan, and the pair was one of those who had welcomed her visits.

"So dutiful, I'm glad," Teyaki approved.

"Thank you, Teyaki-san," Sakura returned with a respectful bow.

"Well, Sakura-chan, isn't it quite late for a young lady like you to walk around?" Uchiha Uruchi managed a wink, triggered a heartfelt laugh from the young medic.

"You shouldn't worry about me, Uruchi-san. I heard your joints are hurting again?" Sakura asked with genuine curiosity as she gazed at the wrinkled face of the elder Uchiha.

"Oh my, rumors sure go around fast." Though Sakura could not see visible change of expression, but the surprise was definitely there.

"Yes, it does. But it is for a good cause this time," Sakura smiled wryly. Knowing how the rumors work from her own experience, Sakura couldn't help but smile softly at the older woman.

Uruchi giggled lightly. "So it is, so it is. Come this way, young one. I got a chair handy," she directed the last part towards the medic, who was glancing around for a proper place to treat the older woman and possibly her partner as well. Smiling sheepishly, Sakura followed the pair and found herself approaching two small stools made of bamboos and a small table piled with unprocessed greens. Nearby stood the house she had become so familiar with, the house the two elderly shared.

Sakura glanced at the older woman and gestured for her to sit down. "Please tell me where you are not feeling well, I will try my best to take away that discomfort."

The words had slipped out unconsciously. She had used those words in the hospital, against the clan members, and each time she managed to melt whatever obstacle with her polite wording. Sakura thanked Tsunade for drilling the habit in her inwardly as she knelt down before the older woman and gather the healing chakra to her hand as she started the process in soothing away the ache formed at the spot.

It did not take her much effort to accomplish such a task, and moments later, relief was beginning show as Uruchi's previously tensed shoulders were starting to relax slowly as the ache dissipated into nothingness.

"Thank you Sakura-san, for going out of your way to help us with trifle things like this." Hands braced gently on those relaxed shoulders, Teyaki saw the tenseness in his wife's shoulders eased away and knew the medic had successfully taken the ache away. With a sigh of relief, Teyaki glanced at the pink haired medic and soon-to-be matriarch of the clan gratefully.

"Yes, thank you, dear. I am glad that little Itachi has good tastes in woman," Uruchi's eyes tinkled with amusement as she watched Sakura blush ever-so-slightly at the compliment.

"This is nothing, Teyaki-san, Uruchi-san. It is my profession."

The older woman smiled. "So dutiful, youngsters these days. I was like that when I was your age," her eyes were dazed as she recalled her younger days, "I was a proud kunoichi much like you, dear. Though I was forced to retire from my duties when I married Teyaki, I was happy. Creating a family with someone is something that can not be compared to any other. You will understand when the time comes, dearly; it is quite worth it if you ask me."

Beside Uruchi and with one of his arm captured within the hands of his wife, Teyaki cleared his throat loudly. "Excuse her blabbering. This woman never knew when to stop when she started talking."

"Ah. Teyaki-san, it's quite alright. I don't mind some history lesson at all," Sakura smiled, though inside, a feeling of dread was spreading slowly. Turning towards the older woman, who was berating her husband, Sakura proceeded to ask, "Uruchi-san, you were forced to retire early?"

Sakura's question was never answered. Before anyone could talk, another presence joined the conversation. "Teyaki-san, Uruchi-san."

"Ah, if it isn't little Itachi," Uruchi chirped happily at the newcomer while Teyaki acknowledged with a curt nod.

"Thank you for taking care of Sakura," Itachi said lightly. Behind their backs where none of the two elders could see, Itachi had one of his hands shackled Sakura's slim wrist as he continued his casual conversation with his relatives.

"Don't say that, little Itachi. Sakura kept us company, we're glad she's here."

"I'm glad," was his curt answer.

"Itachi? I thought you were on a mission?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"I was."

So he returned. Had time really passed by that fast while she spent her time with the two elders?

"Sakura, it is late. You need rest," Itachi whispered in her ear while tagging lightly on her wrist. Without hearing her response, he then faced the two watchful older Uchiha and bid them goodnight.

"Sakura is currently unwell, it is best for her to retire for the day."

"Oh dear, Sakura you could have say so. Please go home and rest," Uruchi's voice was laced with concern as she eyed the medic with sympathy.

"Yes, thank you for what you did today. Rest well." That was Teyaki.

Sakura had barely gotten out her farewells before she was towed away by Itachi. He had pulled her beside him as the pair walked side by side under the moonlight.

"You did not rest as I told you to," his words were light, but the underlying steel was peeking through his casual tone.

"I couldn't sleep." It had been true, and instead of wasting time lying on the bed, she had chosen to take a walk. It was just a walk longer than she had anticipated.

"You'll drink the herb broth brewed by ka-san and rest."

Sakura considered to rebuke to his orders but decided against it. She did not want to start another round of mind games with the master to end the day, so she merely nodded.

Just when they were half way back to the house, another spike of pain hit. The migraine was so violent that is made her moan in pain. The hand connecting her to Itachi stiffened and held on to his with a death grip.

"Sakura?" Concern was in his voice as he turned towards the hunched form that currently had one of her hand holding to side of her head.

"Hurt…" Her face paled at the magnitude of the drilling pain. "My head… hurts."

Even with the healing chakra pressed against her scalp, it did little to ease away the pain that was currently shooting stars across her vision. At this rate…

"I will take you to the hospital." Finality was in his voice as his hands snaked around her waist to pick her up when the feminine form suddenly went limp in his arms.

Without a word, Itachi swung her into his arms and leaped off towards the hospital.

* * *

He had sped the entire way from the district to the hospital and had arrived in the record time of four minutes. But the concern on him mind was the stilled figure laid silently in his arms.

Cool air rushed at him when he entered the facility. Knowing the building like the back of his hand, he fastened his pace and moved towards the front desk. The nurse in charge was taken back by his appearance and the limp figure in his arms. Stuttering, the nurse had directed him to a specific doctor, but the direction had been so unclear that Itachi nearly lost his control on the anger boiling just below the surface.

He turned away from the blushing nurse with a silent curse. Where was a decent healer when he needed one? His irritation was called short as a familiar voice rung against and down the white halls of the Konoha Hospital towards his location.

"If only Sakura was here. She would have _never_ made such a mess like this…" The busty blonde made her way down the hall continuing her rents, uncaring of the volume of her voice. A familiar color of black and white caught her attention and from the corner of her eye, she glanced at the stoic man in ANBU uniform standing in the middle of the lobby.

"Uchiha? What are you doing here?" Her brows were raised as she awaited his answer and was slightly taken back as the man inched towards her. It was then did she notice in the man's arms laid her precious apprentice, unconcious. Looking up into the clan heir's obsidian eyes, she could almost see his concern towards her apprentice.

"Follow me, Uchiha. Tell me what happened while we walk."

Itachi recalled all the events happened, included Sakura's series of symptoms.

"Flu?" Tsunade murmured as she pushed open an emptied room with an empty bed and simple furnishing.

"Lay her down on the bed while I check on her," the Hokage ordered as she prepared the inspection. With her hands now glowing green, Tsunade ran her hand up and down along the slender figure laid still in the bed. Once. Twice.

A sigh escaped her lips and she leaned back against the leather-covered chair she had pulled up.

"What is her condition, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade allowed a small lift on the corners of her lips. "I will wake her. I still need to ask her some questions before I can confirm her condition."

Another soft glow of green had Sakura's eyes opened slightly. "S-Shishou?"

Tsunade snorted. "Sakura, you should have taken better care with yourself."

"It seems everyone been telling me that lately…" Sakura murmured, her hands rubbing away the fogs in her vision.

"You should know better Sakura. You are a medic," Tsunade berated her apprentice, though inwardly, she had decided to celebrate this special event with another bottle of sake when they were done. Oh she couldn't wait to see Sakura's face…

"Shishou, I'm sure that it is not the only thing you wanted to tell me… us," Sakura corrected herself when she noticed the pair of obsidian eyes gazing intensely down at her.

"That right. I woke you because I need to confirm something. And because your husband is so anxious in hearing your results, I would suggest we start now."

Sneaking a sideways glance towards the stoic man, Sakura nodded slowly.

"Sakura, you've been experiencing some flu-like symptoms, correct?" Tsunade pulled out a snippet in a book she read long ago mentally and started ticking off the listed items.

"Yes."

"Nausea?"

"Yes." Check.

"Headaches?"

"Migraines." Check.

"And you've been feeling more exhausted lately?"

"Shishou, where is this going?"

"I'm the one asking questions, Sakura," Tsunade's brows furrowed as she chastised the pink haired medic lying on the bed.

"Yes, I have." Check. Now the last question…

"Very well, last one. Is your menstrual cycle missing for this month?"

"…it is not here yet if that's what you are asking," Sakura responded slowly as her mind spinned through all the possibilities along with the highlights of her condition with her shishou's questions.

Tsunade sighed heavily. "I'm pretty sure it's that."

"What is _that_?" Sakura asked with an eyebrow raised.

At this, Tsunade straightened in her chair and beamed at her apprentice. "Congratulations, Sakura. You are about to be a mother," she then shifted her gaze to the man standing by, whose eyes widened slightly at the implications, "and you, are a father-soon-to-be."

Silence.

"What?" Sakura's face was filled with disbelieve as she gazed at her shishou. She must have heard her wrong…

Tsunade sighed heavily at the rounded eyes of her apprentice and wondered how Sakura could _not_ get the implications behind her words.

"To put it bluntly, you are pregnant."

* * *

Edit: Regarding the appearance and the role Genma played in this chapter, the credit goes to the talented elle6778 and her stories: The Chance, The Centerpiece.

* * *

A/N: I was surprised at the length of the first chapter, and to think that I actually put off some scenes that were meant to be in this chapter! This one started out as a plot bunny just like any other, I just _happened_ to felt like writing about it. Before I knew what happened, it was already 15 pages long... so I thought, 'Why not?'

Also excuse the grammatic and spelling errors, I spent 6 hours straight writing this and finished at 7am. So if there are any errors, please be lenient.

I do have this one planned out, and it will most likely be around 2-3 chapters long, depending on the scenes I want to write. I wasn't planning on writing a sequel for _And I you_ before, but seeing as how this one seems to tie nicely to that, I will make this the sequel for _And I you_.

Pregnancy is definitely a new subject for me, but I'll try my best to not get things mixed up. Also for reference, this story happens about two years after the setting in _And I you_. I also realized that it is impossible to have Itachi in a non-massacre story without him being OCC, and I did just that. So I'll try to fix that one up so he is not as OCC as I protrayed him in previous stories.

And that's pretty much the tidbits I can think of for now.

Once again, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it. Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome and greatly appreciated!

Envo 11/23


	2. Chapter 2

Title- Clouded

By- Envo

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

* * *

-

Chapter 2

-

Foliages of red swayed slightly in the wind. Its thin branches framing the small path covered with crimson except for the small, flat stepping stones that led the path onwards. Moss-covered pagodas lined along the pathway, creating a sense of tranquility. A small wooden bridge leapt across the black and white gravel paved underneath. Rounding the corners of the kuromatsu, the scenery opened up to a circle of boulders surrounding a pristine pond with water lilies floating atop and koi swimming lazily below. The thin pieces of willow leaves dipped just above the stilled water, weaving a celadon veil around the small pond.

The breeze found its way through the open shoji doors and into the room. A china tea pot covered with artful swirls and a matching cup sat neatly in the small rectangular tray above the wide-spread, tatami-covered floor. Slender fingers traced the blue linings on the teacup before it was lifted in the air. Sakura blew the stray strand of pink away from her eyes and stared at the rising steam from the tea-filled cup with a small frown. Her bent knees and folded legs were screaming at her for relieve, but she took no notice of them. Their new garden was exceptionally beautiful; the colors were matched perfectly with one another in harmony, and the cheerful chirps of morning birds only added on to the beauty even more, making their already perfect backyard into a dream garden.

She appreciated natural beauty, she really did. But after two hours and forty-four minutes of staring, she had enough of the greens, the reds, and every other color in their carefully decorated garden. Really, did they think that she would be able to spend the rest of the eight months, two weeks and three days in the house staring at the miniature nature before her eyes?

"_I'm… pregnant?" Her eyes were slightly dazed as she tried to absorb the shocking news._

_Her shishou's warm hazel eyes were twinkled with joy and laughter. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the failed attempt of the Hokage at keeping a straight face in front of her stunned apprentice._

"_This is too…sudden." Her slightly trembling fingertips touched her lips lightly; too shocked to raise her voice beyond the small whisper that escaped her parted lips._

"_You are a proper trained medic, Sakura. How can you not differentiate the symptoms from a common flu?" Tsunade scolded._

"_I… didn't look at it that way." Her defensive tone was clear and her emerald eyes were round at the accusing from her mentor._

_Tsunade sighed at the pink haired woman's response. The generation these days… "What do you plan to do now, Sakura?" Her previous playful tone gone, replacing with it was the seriousness that hung along in the air. _

_There it was, the question she knew would come and yet still dreaded to hear. Had she not been the kunoichi she was known for, she might have flinched upon the questioning gaze from both the occupants on her side. But what she was hesitated on, was meeting the eyes of Uchiha Itachi. Tentatively, Sakura slowly lifted her eyes to that of the Uchiha's, only to find his attention was not on her at all. _

"_She will not be able to perform the regular duties as a kunoichi of Konoha."_

_Wait, what?_

_On the other side, Tsunade nodded her head curtly in agreement, and Sakura could only stare and gape at the two who proceed to list out all sorts of limitations and restrictions on her behalf._

"_Yes, she will be taken off the active roster."  
_

"_Perhaps being in the hospital would not be good for her health with all the sickness and illness in the air?" Itachi suggested intentionally._

"_Good point. I suppose she could take her leave during the time of her pregnancy," Tsunade nodded her head thoughtfully; the two golden pigtails swung lightly under the soft glow of the light above._

"_Wait, but what am I supposed to do if I am restricted to all those," Sakura waved her hands, encapsulating all the previous statements in the air, "restrictions? Sitting in the house and twiddling my fingers for the entire nine months of pregnancy?"_

_Two pairs of eyes immediately landed on her face and she had to try hard to push down the sudden wave of heat rushing up to her face._

"_Yes," Itachi deadpanned and Tsunade only grinned in agreement._

"_That's not—"_

"_Well, I think we've covered the majority of things here, Uchiha. I'll head back to my office now. Sakura, you will do well in keeping yourself healthy for the sake of the life growing in you," the Hokage talked over her apprentice's disgruntled protest. "I will leave you two to talk a bit. You can leave tomorrow," Tsunade winked at the couple and left the room with a swirl of her long, green coat._

_All colors were drained from her previously rosy cheeks and Sakura was sure her face must have resembled a white piece of paper. She lowered her head ever so slightly, but a soft caress below her chin disrupted her train of thought. Her head was directed upwards, and soon, Sakura found herself drawn into twin orbs of obsidian. _

"_Sakura."_

"_I..tachi," her response was reluctant, and she knew it. But she was feeling nerve-racking all of a sudden. What if he wasn't happy about it?_

"_You are pale."_

_What was she to say to that? She turned her face away from his scrutinizing gaze. "I… Are you happy, Itachi?" There, she said it. The flood of emotion surged forward, and soon, she found herself revealing more of her hidden distress than she cared to give. "I knew that I careless. I just never thought that there is a possibility of me becoming pregnant so soon. I must have counted my days wrong. I knew I should have—"_

"_Silly woman. Your worries are groundless."_

_Her vision was blurred with moist, but she did not care. She looked into his eyes nonetheless. "What would everyone say? What would Ino, Sasuke, or Naruto think? And what about Mikoto-san, and Fugaku-san, and the rest of the clan?"_

_His normally hardened eyes soften at her blatant distress and he tucked away the piece of pink behind the shell of her ear. "They would congratulate you, Sakura. Ka-san would be excited, tou-san would be proud, and the rest of the clan would be relieved that the head family would soon be having an heir."_

"_Heir? How you are so sure that we're having a boy?" She whispered quietly. Inside, she couldn't help but noticed he hasn't answered her question._

"_It runs in the family."_

_She frowned, though with the protest on the tip of her tongue, she decided to drop the soon-to-be argument. "But what about you, Itachi? Are you happy?"_

_If her frustration could go up another notch, it would. His facial expression consisted lifting a single eyebrow at her question and completed with a rare smirk. "Are you?"_

"_Am I—I'm asking the question here!" She was as agitated as it was, and he just had to go and push her buttons._

_The next thing she knew was the musky scent filling her nostrils, the silky strands of raven hair brushing her cheeks and the overwhelming warmth radiating from the body that now draped over her small form. "I can't be happier, Sakura. Are you?"_

"_I…" She trialed off not because of hesitation, but because of the overflowing joy filling up within her. "I'm glad," she gave him a tearful smile, even though he could not see it._

That was one week ago. She had not realize then, but the next few days after she checked out of the hospital wing were the only days left for her to wonder around freely without annoying relatives trialing her tail everywhere she went. They had moved then to another newly built house, hence the arranged garden before her eyes. Knowing the head of the clan, Sakura was sure he would never allowed such a wild display of colors in his own backyard.

At this, she gave a heavy sigh and stood. Rules and restrictions be damned, she wanted out! Quickly donning on the jounin vest despite her status on the roster and putting on her sandals, she slipped out of the front door unnoticed by the house maid who was busy dusting the shelves and the tabletops.

A stroll around the village would do her good.

* * *

"She will only be taken off the roster temporally," Tsunade replied wearily. That statement was repeated once again for the umpteenth time that afternoon, and her patience was wearing thin.

"As apart of the clan elders, I have the authority in deciding my clansmen's… business. In cases such as this, that is," the old, wrinkled man before her rasped in demand as she regarded him with cold, calculating eyes.

"To permanently take a capable or an on duty shinobi or kunoichi off the roster requires the person's consent. There are not exceptions," her voice was hard and her tone final, though the man chose to wave them off like butterflies.

"Uchiha Sakura from the Haruto family is the current wife to the heir of the clan, Uchiha Itachi—"

"His only wife," Tsunade injected with a hiss.

"—it is a tradition well recognized and respected, Hokage-sama, to prevent the women from further exposures in their… jobs. Their proper places are within their homes, not out in the field doing the jobs men would do," the pair of onyx eyes were filled with mock as he continued, "your clan perished long ago, so I don't expect you to acknowledge that tradition according to your status now. But I do you hope you'll understand, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade snorted at the poorly concealed insult. "Uchiha attitude sure reeks. I can see how the rumors started. I'll say this once, and once only. Sakura is not a brooding mare for your clan. She is a capable kunoichi of Konoha and my apprentice. Try caging a bird will only give you the opposite result. And you will learn your place, Fujio. This is final, so you can go and take your pleas elsewhere. I will not give you the pleasure in dictating my apprentice's life."

Uchiha Fujio glared hard at the Hokage before offering a stiff bow and exited the room, closing the door behind him with a loud bang.

Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh. "You heard that, Uchiha?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Her hazel eyes slid to the opened window, and on the frame perched a masked ANBU. Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose at the troublesome situation at hand.

"I don't care what method you use. Don't let them force the decision on her. She would not take it well at this stage."

"It is understood, Hokage-sama."

The room grew silent as time passed. None of the occupants noticed the pair of rounded emerald eyes staring into the distance, nor did they saw her stilled form froze behind the door with her hands raised, prepared to knock.

* * *

He came in just before the dinner started.

It had become a habit as the current Uchiha matriarch insisted on having her entire family together for dinner. And that was how the newly wed pair found themselves visiting the clan's head's home every night.

"Itachi, where have you been all day?" Mikoto called out from the kitchen while Sakura paused in the middle of placing plates and eating utensils.

"Team meeting."

The Uchiha matriarch poked her head out of the kitchen and gave her son a once over before retreating back to the cooking pots. "Well, don't just stand there. Go change, we're going to have dinner soon."

The exchange between the two had gone unnoticed in her emerald eyes as Sakura's mind wrapped around the incident happened during her not-so-casual walk. The image of a retreating shadow of Fujio still lingered behind her shut eyelids and the hush but audible words uttered from the clan elder's lips repeated itself over and over in her mind has refused to let up. Unknowingly, her fingers curled and clenched together tightly, imprinting reddened half-moon shapes across her palm. Her mind snapped back when Itachi's warm hands enclosed her own briefly. She then gave him a forced smile before watching him heading down the corridor and disappeared around the corner.

When all of them sat down, it was thirty minutes later. Clippings of chopsticks were the only thing that resounded around the dinning room before Fugaku decided to break the silence.

"Sakura, now that you are a part of the clan, what do you plan to do next?"

Blinking, Sakura looked at the current head of the clan with slight curiosity and confusion. "I don't quite understand the question, Fugaku-san."

"I meant—"

"Otou-san," Itachi's voice cut through the conversation abruptly, "I'd like to speak to you."

"Can it not wait, Itachi?" Though his voice did not rise and his face remained stoic, the underlying tone of authority left a trace and was immediately picked up by all the occupants around the table.

"Now, if you would please," Itachi stood and gestured towards the exit of the room.

The shoji door slid soundlessly back to its place, cutting off the last glimpses of the two Uchiha men. From the corners of her eyes, Sakura noted with mild concern as the silhouette of the two moved away from the rice paper-covered screen that could be easily eavesdropped on. On the outside she was calm and collected, but inwardly, she was anything but. The conversation between the clan elder and shishou she had accidentally heard, and the crooked, mocking smile Fujio tossed towards her as he walked away had been on her mind since then. Now with the sudden departure of the two men in the middle of their dinner only served in quickening her rapid heartbeats.

"—Sakura?" The quiet calls soon began to increase in volume with the lack of response from the pink haired kunoichi. A warm, slightly smaller hand was placed soothingly on her shoulders as the owner shook her slightly, detaching her from her thoughts.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Mikoto's concerned voice rung in her ear and Sakura jolted on the spot.

"Y-Yes, Mikoto-san?"

"Your face is pale, Sakura. Are you ill?"

"I'm fine, Mikoto-san. Please don't worry about me," Sakura reassured the older woman before sneaking a glance at the rice paper covered sliding door.

Mikoto's twin onyx eyes shone with understanding when she saw the look Sakura had on. "You don't need to worry too much about them. It's probably about the clan."

Sakura nodded timidly, half embarrassed at being caught by the Uchiha matriarch's acute perception and half relieved at the confirmation she was just given. "Mikoto-san?"

"Mm?" Mikoto answered absentmindedly while picking up a freshly made salmon sushi.

"I—About the question Fugaku-san was asking, I was wondering… What was he saying?'

The older woman paused slightly before placing the pair of chopsticks down quietly with a sigh. "I'm not quite sure if it is proper for me to tell you this, Sakura."

"I don't understand," Sakura furrowed her brow. That was not the answer she was looking for. Her heart sank. Somehow, she knew she would not like the upcoming news.

"You must understand, Sakura, that he was just worried about your future life. He meant no harm. Not really." Quietly, Mikoto added the last part of the statement, even though she sounded less confident than she was moments ago.

Sakura stared at the raven haired woman wordlessly, unknowing how to respond to her comment.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed, and just when Sakura decided the atmosphere was too heavy to bear, Mikoto spoke again, "You must have wondered at some point, why none of the women from the clan was ever a kunoichi again once they married." Two orbs of hollow onyx stared into hers, and Sakura found herself looking at the woman beneath the mask of a proud Uchiha.

She could only nod with agreement as the Uchiha matriarch went on, "It was said that all women married in the clan must forfeit their… duties towards the village and take up the roles and obligations at home. We never had the chance; we were all so close-minded then." Two warm, delicate palms were placed on Sakura's shoulders as Mikoto continued her tale. "But you do, Sakura. You are of the new generation; you have the choice," Mikoto gave her a saddened smile.

"Choose wisely, Sakura. Don't make the same mistake that all of us did."

Sakura was speechless. So this was the tradition Fujio was talking about in shishou's office?

"Mikoto-san, you… regret giving up your identity as a kunoichi?" Sakura worded her thoughts carefully, not wanting to anger the dejected woman whose past they had just touched on.

The forlorn look on the Uchiha signature pale face shook her the most. In her mind, she could almost picture herself in the woman's shoe. _Would that be me?_

"The family Fugaku and I created is wonderful. Both of our sons made us proud and happy and our lives are easy and relaxing. But sometimes, I wish I can still be on the field; just sometimes, I wish I can once again feel the rush of adrenaline in my veins during those missions I used to hate so much," a small smile slowly worked its way through the sadden face of a once proud kunoichi, " but what's done is done. Looking back would only be a waste of time. Don't you agree, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded numbly at her words as Mikoto gracefully swiped the loose strands of raven and leaned back once again. Her face was void of the anguish just moments ago; it has once again donned the mask of perfection before her eyes.

"I'm glad you understand, Sakura. It must be difficult for you to hear all that, but I just wanted you to know that you do have a choice, no matter how forceful they tried to make it to be," the Uchiha matriarch offered her a heartfelt smile before resuming her unfinished dinner.

Before Sakura could fully grasp what had gone on between her and the older woman, the men had returned from their private conversation. She had just barely schooled her expression back to normal before both of them sat down on their previous seat. Fugaku sat at the head of the table with Mikoto to his left and Itachi to his right, and her to his right.

Neither of the men returned with any expression, though she had knew it would be so from the beginning. They were, after all, Uchiha men; it was to be expected. The rest of the dinner continued without a hitch, and soon after clean up, they were all heading to their own respective rooms to rest.

Though now with the strong arm around her waist and the steady breathes warming her exposed nape, the sensation of sleep was nowhere near than it was yesterday, and the day before that, and before that. Mind whirling around the incident in the afternoon and during their dinner, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of dread filling up inside of her. And before she knew what had happened, a tear slid down her cheeks and down the corner of her lips. Tasting the saltiness in her mouth triggered more droplets, and soon, they were all cascading down from her lids as she fisted her mouth to stop the whimpering from escaping. But the trembling did not stop. She shut her eyelids angrily as more crystal clear droplets fell from the corners of her eyes. Eventually, the stream slowed to a stop and the hiccups and trembles disappeared. The tiredness took over and her eyes became half-lidded before it was fully closed. Though the evidence of her emotional upset were all gone except for the twin trials down her cheeks, her mind was still burdened with the information gained during the day, leaving her feeling confused and… something she could not quite name.

_What was she to do?_

_

* * *

_She woke up in the bed that morning with the indent beside hers as empty as usual. Though the dizzy spell did not disappear despite her regenerating sleep, she waved it off as she clutched the side of the bed and pulled herself up to a sitting position. The birds were chirping cheerily and yet she could feel none of the joyfulness she used to feel when waking up to the calls of the birds. She frowned at her rubbery limbs as her fists tightened around the creased bed sheet, knuckles white.

With her legs dangling on the edge of the bed, she slid down with ease and stomped her way towards the restroom, mindless of the several wobbled steps occurred in the middle; she was more frustrated with herself than to bother with the small details. The mirror reflected a pale face with two enormous jade eyes, flushed cheeks, and tightened lips. The forehead she was known for was still there, so was her flamboyant pink hair. The only noticeable changes were the bags beneath her eyes that were not there days ago. But they were gone as well with a single touch from a chakra-glowing fingertip. Her eyes narrowed. Why was she treated like a useless person? She could move; she could perform daily chores that anyone could do, and she most definitely was not bedridden. She was still her, the apprentice of the current Hokage. Who were they to dictate her what she could and could not do?

That was so it!

Ten minutes later she was storming down the corridor of their empty house and reaching for the front door within records time. She had chosen an outfit that allowed her the most mobility; the red, sleeveless zipped-up shirt with the Haruno crest on the back was covered by a standard jounin vest, and underneath the pale pink, slit skirt was the pair of black, fit shorts that enabled her to move quickly without the fabric above limiting her movements. A kunai hostler was strapped to her right thigh and several more were hidden between the folds on the clothes of her choosing. The weapon pouch was tied securely behind her back along with the sheathed tanto and her favorite pair of black gloves tucked casually between the linings.

Sat down quietly on the edge of the wooden floor, she quickly slipped on her boots and stood with a huff before throwing the door open. Sunlight pierced through the once shaded genkan and momentarily blinded her to the brilliant light. A shadow moved and stopped right before her, and through her squint she managed to make out the shady figure before her. She scowled.

"Ah, you are amazing, Sakura-chan. You knew I was coming and you waited for me at the door, how nice!"

"Shisui, what are you doing here?" Too tired to keep up with her normal cheery façade, she simply snapped at the older Uchiha.

"Now now, Sakura-chan. Let's be nice to Shisui because he is here to take care of you for the day," the man leaned against the doorframe and gave her a cheeky smile in all his Uchiha male glory.

Despite the raging anxiety appearing out of nowhere, she just couldn't help but raise to the bait. "Well, Shisui. I didn't know you changed your profession from a shinobi to that of a babysitter. Though I have to say you must have knocked on the wrong door, since the child you are possibly looking for is one down the street." Sakura lifted an index finger lazily and pointed towards the building to their left and glared at the man who had his hand before his chest and giving her a wounded look.

"Sakura-chan, you wounded my poor heart. You are a medic right? I'm sure you can heal it," he wiggled his brows playfully at a nearly fuming Sakura.

"Just a thought, Shisui, but I do believe I still owe you a trip to Suna. What do you think of that?" Sakura cracked her knuckles with menace.

Quite unlike other Uchiha she met, he had more outward displays of emotion than all Uchiha combined, such as he was doing now.

Uchiha Shisui blanched several shades whiter at the threat and muttered, "Temperamental woman…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing." With both of his hands raised up high in the air, Shisui gave a defeated look to the pink haired medic, though was disappointed shortly after when the shorter woman was unmoved to his antics and proceeded to glare at him till he involuntarily took a step back.

Though it was not her nature to be sadistic, seeing a retreating Shisui (even just slightly) had brightened her mood a little. "What do you want, Shisui?"

"I told you, I'm here to—"

A waving hand cut him off from his still ongoing sentence before Sakura pushed her way through the man and the door and slammed it shut behind her. "And I told you that the kid you are looking for is one door down the street. Now if you will excuse me." With a hand shielding her eyes, Sakura made her way down the streets and exited the district into the village.

Shisui had decided to shadow her just in case the woman became too stubborn for her own good, and now he rejoiced at his thoughtfulness towards his younger cousin's wife. However, after a leap on the rooftops and around the corners of two buildings, he lost her. How he managed to lost sight of the only girl with pink hair in the village was well beyond him, but one thing was for sure: he was going to be glared to death for being so careless.

Uchiha Shisui sighed heavily. _Well, Itachi. At least I tried._

_

* * *

_It had always been an unspoken rule that training ground three was to be use by the former members of Team Seven and them only. Even their fellow ANBU members shied away from the place unless they wanted a nice death match before being rushed to the emergency room.

Sakura looked up at the position of the sun and summed up the time being around nine in the morning. With an inpatient flick at the loose strand of pink, she leaped off the rooftop and made her way towards the training ground—more specifically, _their_ training ground.

Her keen ear picked up the dull 'thuds' and she inwardly smiled at her perception. Slowing her sprint to a stealthy walk, she found a perfect hiding place beneath the trees and crouched down to the grass-covered floor. Readying a kunai at hand with her chakra masked, she flung the weapon at the figure in the middle of the field with speed and precision only to have him deflected it without turning. It was then sent sailing through the air back towards her with deadly accuracy. Sakura stretched her arm and with a finger curled around the ring on the weapon, the kunai was stopped in its trial before it could do any harm. The figure turned and pin pointed her location with two pools of crimson and three tomo in each.

"Sakura."

She unfolded from her crouched position and started towards the raven haired man that shared many characteristics with her spouse. With a detached smile, Sakura faced her old teammate and regarded him, taking a relaxed stance.

"Say, Sasuke-_kun_. How long has it been since I kicked your butt? I wonder how well will you do now with no one to do that regularly," Sakura mused out loud with a ghosted smirk lingering on her lips.

Her ex-teammate appeared unimpressed with her insult however, having already caught on to the intent behind that comment, he snorted lightly, "What are you doing, Sakura? You shouldn't be here. You—"

"I'm calling for a spar, Sasuke," Sakura replied with ease, though her muscles were tense as her true intent flew out of her mouth.

"You are preg—"

"Don't give me that pregnant crap! I'm tired of everyone treating me like a porcelain doll when I'm a capable kunoichi. Just because I'm few days into my pregnancy doesn't mean I'm handicapped!" Sakura gritted her teeth as anger started to pour out into her words, "I want you to spar with me, Sasuke. You know that I can very well kick your butt to Kiri, so if I catch you going easy on me I will maim you the next chance I get!"

Without waiting for a response from the surprised man, Sakura armed herself and flew towards him with chakra-enhanced steps that brought her to him within a blink of an eye.

Upon reflex, Sasuke blocked the attack with his own kunai and stared at the woman before him with shock. The determination in her twin orbs of emerald shone brightly as her free hand came up and slashed at him with medics' signature attack—chakra scalpel. Sasuke grimaced inwardly as he reached over and grabbed the glowing hand. In between him and Sakura, he had the upper hand in comparison of raw strength, so when Sakura stumbled and was sent flying backwards towards a tree with his kick, he berated himself for not lessening the strength he used.

His ex-teammate twirled in the air like a feline before performing a backwards summersault and landed in a crouching stance with one hand bracing the ground before her and the other on the kunai hostler. Pink tresses flew upwards when her face lifted and the pair of jade found his crimson ones. "Good, Sasuke. I'm glad you did not hold back."

"So you are serious," Sasuke murmured and allowed the wind to carry his message across the field.

"You are pretty slow today, Sasuke-_chan_," Sakura smirked at the face her former teammate pulled and slipped into an offensive stance with her finger hooked around the ring of another kunai.

"Aniki is going to kill me," Sasuke flinched when the words hit him but was forced to dodge once again at the charging woman.

"Are you scared, Sasuke?" Sakura taunted as she made another attempt at swiping his legs out from underneath.

Not once were their breaths hitched as they exchanged blows at each other. When their weapons locked together seconds later, Sasuke smirked, "Whatever, Sakura."

The sun cruised through its daily route and across the cloudless sky, and when the giant orange orb hung high in the middle of the day, a shriek echoed about the training ground.

"Sasuke, why did you go easy on me?"

In front of him, Sakura stood fuming with a hand clutching at the cut on her arm that was meant to slice across her ribcage, though he had decided against it.

Even from the corner of his eye, he could tell from the harsh breathings and the unstable stance that she was nowhere near her usual fighting condition; half of it due to her current condition, the other half would be blaming on the life form nestled in her womb that was continuously taxing her strength, both mentally and physically. Her pale cheeks that normally flushed lively spoke more of her condition than she would ever admit, and he knew she would not be done until she was satisfied.

"Sakura, we've been sparing for two hours straight. I'm calling for a break."

"Tired so fast, Sasuke? You must be growing old," Sakura grumbled as she straightened and looked at the retreating shadows of the raven haired man.

"Perhaps," was his light response as he went and sat down under the tree with its leaves shading the area, providing small relief from the scorching sun. With a defeated sigh, Sakura followed in suit and crashed down heavily to his left.

Both were silent as they allowed the passing breeze to cool off their flushing cheeks and the beads of perspiration stationing across their exposed skin. For a moment, only the rustle of the leaves and soft breathings were present in their ears. Then Sakura spoke, "Do you remember our times as genin, Sasuke?''

He spared a sideways glance at the pink haired medic wordlessly as he watched her continued with a genuine expression. "The time when we knew next to nothing about fighting. We were so naive then," the calm expression she had on moments ago was quickly dissipating and was replaced with a tormented façade as Sasuke watched with alarm, "but I was the worst. I devoted most of my time to useless things. I was so weak then…"

"Sakura, what are you—" Sasuke furrowed his brow at the sudden change in the atmosphere but was quickly jolted by surprised when the next question reached his ears.

"Do you think I'm weak now, Sasuke?"

"If you are weak, you wouldn't be here," he told her calmly as he watched leaves blew across the currently emptied field.

"But I was weak then. Right, Sasuke? I have no specialty nor do I stand out. I was nothing then." Her lips were trembling and moist soon rose to her eyes, blurring everything in her sight. Before he could add on to anything, she continued as the miserable feeling grew larger and larger, almost choking her with it. "Compare to what I am today, I really was a nobody, an unwanted teammate on the team, wasn't I?"

"You know well enough through the years that you are not an unwanted member of former Team Seven. But that aside, why are you mentioning this now?" He gazed at her glossy eyes with nothing but blanked face; but inwardly, he was curious enough at the blatant distress of his female ex-teammate to poke his head into this apparent mess.

"I don't want to lose myself, Sasuke. I don't want to be weak again." With her head now buried within her bent knees, her voice was muffled by the obstacle along with the slight quiver to her tone. But what made him raised his brows was the trembling of her shoulders that were increasing in magnitude with each passing second.

"Then don't."

"How, Sasuke? How? They are going to force me to retire from the field sooner or later. I never said I wanted to in the first place! I won't be myself if I am to loose that, I'll just revert back to the weak Sakura that everyone pokes fun of. I won't be me anymore. And h-he won't…" Sakura broke off at that point and hugged her knees tighter and buried her face deep. Though it was because of this, Sakura missed the glint in her former teammate's onyx eyes.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the hunched form to his side. His mind whirling with her words and a memory clicked.

_He had just return from a scouting mission, and all he wanted was a shower and something to fill his stomach that had been empty for the past four days with nothing but soldier pills. His brows furrowed. The aftertaste was still in his mouth. Making a face, he proceeded to remove his sandals and crossed the empty room silently. As he was about to round up another corner, he heard his father and his brother speaking. Originally ruling out the possibility of it having anything to do with him, he backpedaled towards another hallway when his keen hearing picked up the mentioning of the only female member in the former Team Seven._

"_What is it?"_

"_I must ask you, Otou-san, to not carry on with the clan's orders as they had told you to this afternoon and deliver them to Sakura."_

"_What is this, Itachi?"_

"_Otou-san, do not pressure her into something she will never become. She will not bend to the clan's wishes, nor will I allow it."_

"_It's her duty."_

"_Her duty is to her country, serving the village as a legitimate kunoichi is her first and foremost obligation."_

"_Not anymore. The moment she is bonded to you, her loyalty is to the clan. And like all Uchiha women does, she will bend to tradition no matter what her status is, even if she is the Hokage's apprentice."_

"_She is my wife. As the heir of the clan, she will have the right to choose what she deems necessary."_

"_What about the child, Itachi? You'll have your own child abandon in the house, alone?  
_

"_Mother agrees to aid us in that department."_

"_Your mother will not be there every time and forever, Itachi."_

"_There may come a time when both of us grow weary of the field. But it is not now."_

_For the longest time span there was silence, and he didn't even need to look to know that both of them were engaged in a glaring contest… of sorts._

"_You've made your opinion clear, Itachi. But the consequences from the clan—"_

"_They will be dealt with, Otou-san."_

_Sigh. "So be it."_

So it had been _that_ issue all along, Sasuke mused as the figure to his side pulled herself even closer, as if trying to block out everything and disappear. Stifling a sigh, he glanced at his former teammate and couldn't help but felt a little sorry for her situation.

"That's not like you at all," he pointed out suddenly, and rewardingly, Sakura's quiet sobs hitched to a stop.

"W-What is?"

"You told me once that monstrous strength of yours," Sakura laughed dryly at this, "was not just a skill. It was a symbolism that every hardship in life will only end up crushed like the boulder you shattered. So why are you upset now?" Sasuke mused quietly and looked up towards the cloudless sky.

"It's not that simple—"

"You never allowed anyone to boss you around, Sakura"

"I…" She paused before lifted up her pale face. The trembles were gone and the tears were dried. All that was left was her rounded eyes at Sasuke's words.

"You do have a choice, rather you see it or not," he finalized gruffly, "As for my brother, you failed to recall that he was the one that watched you grow."

Sakura was speechless as she processed the man's words. And as if someone had turned on the lights in a pitch dark room, she realized she had been so desperate in pleasing the clan to the point where she lost herself in a seemly complicated maze, but in reality it was just simple orchard.

"Hm, you are so annoying," Sasuke ruffled his gravity-defying raven locks in annoyance as he turned away from the pink haired medic and facing the Hokage Mountain. Sakura pressed her chakra-covered hands to her cheeks and wiped away traces of her upsets with a small smile. She had been his teammate for too long, they had known each other far too well. And though he felt embarrassed to speak of these things to her, she found herself unable to tease him about the faint hue of red on his cheeks.

"Sasuke… Thank you," she spoke lightly and smiled at the grunt in return.

"Sakura." The sudden call made the just-recovered girl jumped before whirling around as fast as a person could when sitting.

"Itachi," Sakura breathed.

"Shisui failed again, I see," said Uchiha heir looked about for his missing older cousin. Sasuke lifted his brow and glanced at Sakura in question.

"It wasn't his fault. Not a lot of people can still read my chakra during masking."

"True." Both Itachi and Sasuke agreed wholeheartedly with their pink haired medic. Their older cousin just wasn't good at chakra reading; it can't be helped.

The older of the two Uchiha nodded with acknowledgement as he supported his wife while she stood. "I thank you for taking care of my wife, Otooto. We'll head back now."

As Sasuke watched the pair's retreating forms quietly, he couldn't helped but come to a conclusion: women could be so obtuse when they're emotional. His brother had been hiding himself in the trees from the moment they break from their spar, and yet his usually chakra-sensitive teammate picked up none of his brother's _unmasked_ chakra during the entire ordeal.

Sasuke sighed as the day started to wane. For once, he agreed with that Nara: women were such a bother.

* * *

It didn't matter if the soon-to-be father was an Uchiha or not, everyone soon found out that even the most stoic of all Uchiha clansmen, namely the heir, could pace before the operation room just like any other men. Though that had been the case because his wife had been in that blasted room for over thirteen hours and yet no one had bothered to come out and brief him the situation.

It had happened during the middle of the night when Sakura's water broke. What happened after was all jumbled up in chaos.

Tsunade had barked orders after orders while insisting on operating the process as the soon-to-be-born child's godmother. It was to be expected, as she was Sakura's mentor. But once all of the medics were ushered into the room, none of them had come out. Thirteen long hours had passed since then, and everyone outside the room was anxious to know how the mother-soon-to-be was doing.

"He's going to wear a hole in the carpet at this rate, Sasuke," Shisui pointed out with a huge smile adorning his distinctive Uchiha features as he snickered at a pacing Itachi. "It's a good thing they had the room built sound-proofed. Or else he could do worse," Shisui held on tightly to his abdomen as he tried to breath through muffled laughs from a picture of Itachi having a mental breakdown.

Sasuke, compared to his… silly cousin knew better than to poke fun at Itachi now when the next breath could very well be his last. So unfortunately for Shisui, he became the 'stress reliever' for the next hour and thirteen minutes before the door opened and a tired looking Tsunade walked out.

"I will not save you even if you are on the brink of being choked to death," Tsunade tossed her remark at a black and blue Shisui who appeared worse for wear compared to the cheerful version of him an hour or so ago.

"I'm fine, Hokage-sama." Despite sporting a black eye and several other bruises, Shisui managed to wave casually at the tired Hokage before limping towards the lounging chair in the far corner and away from his younger cousin who he swore had a murderous aura rolling off his shoulders moments ago.

Muttering something along the lines of 'stupid men with their pride', Tsunade straightened up and beckoned to a back-to-normal Itachi.

"Congratulations, Uchiha. Sakura gave birth to a son two minutes ago."

A collective of relieved sigh echoed about the emptied hallway in the surprisingly quiet afternoon of three. Sasuke glanced at his now stoic brother and made two mental notes to himself: one, stay away from women until absolutely necessary and two, blackmail his brother of this particular day for future reference.

* * *

Sakura chuckling nonstop at the events happened on the other side of the door during her pregnancy which was retold from Itachi. Though judging from his stiffed shoulders at the mention of his older cousin, she knew she would have to get the full story from her ex-teammate, if not from Shisui himself. Her stay at the hospital had been short, and not wanting to spend another week lying on the bed, she proceeded to talk her way out of the hospital hours later. And now as they stroll down the streets with scattered villagers here and there, Sakura couldn't help but smiled down at the bundle of cloth in her hand while the arm around her shoulder tightened.

"It's a good thing we have a boy," Itachi said all of a sudden.

"What's the difference between having a girl or a boy? It's our child either way."

"The clan values male more than females in order to pass on the bloodline and to build a stronger clan."

"That's outrageous!" Growing up under Tsunade's teachings, the one thing she hate the most was sexist men judging and underestimating the strengths of a woman.

Itachi patted her head lightly before giving her a rare smirk, "It's typical."

Sakura pouted, "Well then next time I _demand_ it to be a girl—" Sakura suddenly gasped and clasped her hand firmly before her mouth before the next word slipped out. Sakura couldn't believe she fell into his trap without a single thought; she must have been getting rusty at his games. Sneaking a peek at Itachi's direction, she found him looking down at her with amused eyes.

"Next time? I never knew you would want another after just having our son for only a day. You are quite insatiable."

Sakura blushed.

Sasuke, who just passed by spotted Sakura's flaming face and decided to spare a little concern for his ex-teammate.

"Sakura, you face is beat red. What happened?" Sasuke gave a sideways glance towards his brother, whose eyes were twinkled with amusement then back to Sakura's face before realization drawn.

"On a second thought, never mind. I don't even want to know."

* * *

A/N: Urg, I definitely don't like this chapter. First it's the OCCness that drives me crazy, then it is the extremely rushed ending of the chapter. I wanted to get this out before the one month gap from the previous update, so it was quickly looked over without grammar checks or spelling errors. Definitely tell me if there are any mistakes.

On a thought, is it just me or are the chapters getting longer...?

Anyway, there is just one more chapter to go before this story ends. I _am_ considering doing a sequal for _Clouded_, but that will have to wait till I get some feedbacks about this chapter and the next.

(Pours eggnog to all readers) Cheers! Thank you all for reading and reviewing, it was very encourging and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome and greatly appreciated!

Envo 12/23


	3. Chapter 3

Title- Clouded

By- Envo

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter 3

Merriment carried her and the small bundle of joy in her arms back to the Uchiha compound, her beloved man closely at her side. Along their way, she marveled at the way the sun set as if it were her first time seeing the crimson ball sinking among orange laced with lilac streaks in the sea of clouds. Passersby were scarce and scatter that evening as they slowly strolled on the streets leading back to their home.

The second they stepped into the district, they were greeted by women—clusters of them. After the offered congratulations here and there and 'oh-he-is-so-adorables', came the array of supplements, recommendations, and snippets of advices that, even if she was the medic she came to be, still overwhelmed her momentarily.

"Honey water, my dear. It's what calms them the most."

"—my recipe works the best for women just given birth. I insist you try some. My husband will gladly drop off the pot tomorrow after its finished cooking."

"…for generations! I'm sure the herb will do wonders for you, too!"

She tried to tie each advice to its spoken owner with a smile, a task she found extremely difficult to do. And as she was doing so while searching through the sea of women, she found herself beaming widely with surprise. Even sweet Uruchi baa-chan was in the crowd.

"Senbei, Sakura-san. You must bring the little one to our store when you are able. I'll make sure we have enough to fill both you and your son's appetite for the day!"

They haven't even moved a step from the gates yet.

Then the sea parted ways. Uchiha Mikoto came to the rescue, and hot on her heels was, much to her inner surprise, her own mother.

All she saw was a blur and a loud 'Sakura!' before the slightly shorter woman latched onto her arm with an alarmingly strong grip. Carefully switching her son from one arm to the other on her mother's unspoken request for better perusal, she gazed down in time to see her little baby yawn before opening his eyes; a pair of stunningly bright onyx that blinked and gazed at first his own mother, then dazedly at the mass attention he acquired, unbeknownst to him. His father's eyes.

The women around them, as if keenly attuned to the newly born, cooed and awed at the irresistibly cute sight, one she couldn't help but answer with a smile of her own. Her baby was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen, and unsurprisingly enough, had nearly four-thirds of the female population reside in the Uchiha district (though some thirty years his senior) wrapped around his chubby little fingers.

He had all the prominent features of an Uchiha and a pair of iridescent dark eyes that attracted attention all over. But the innocent, toothless smile was perhaps the most noticeable non-Uchiha trait mark, one she intended to fully develop, least he became too much alike like _someone_ she knew.

Still held in trance by the little creature resting in her arms, she slowly became aware of one Uchiha matriarch's clear and soothing voice echoing in the background.

"It's getting late, ladies. Let them rest for the day."

With much bemoaning, over-the-shoulder reminders 'you must come visit us someday with him' and hushed 'goodbyes', the crowd began to disperse.

The arm supporting her back tightened subtly, drawing her attention to the man standing so stilly at her side. She felt him bent over; his soft hair brushed against her cheeks as he gazed over the now wide awake babe. The gentleness and so palpable affection in his eyes made somewhere inside her melt with warmth. The fearful and revered taichou of squad ten was now a father, and her, his other half, a mother. The thought made her lightheaded with giddy. It felt like a wonderfully sweet dream: marriage, child, _family_ _of her own_.

If it were, she thought with a prayer, please don't let it end.

Warm breath fanned across the shell of her ear steering her wayward mind back in line. "Come."

Belatedly, she felt the soft push not only against her back, but also on the arm that linked her to her mother. "Sakura, you are on the pale side. You must be exhausted. Come, let's get you a chair so you can sit and rest."

The fondness in Sayuri's tone made her smile. She could see the line of age at the corners of her eyes, but it was the apparent excitement that drew her. Her mother was practically glowing with barely-suppressed anticipation, a feat that made her looked twenty years younger. Her liveliness was contagious, and not long before she noticed the mirroring tilt on her own lips.

Leaning back against the warm body with ease, she savored her feeling. So this was what they called true happiness… She tipped her chin up and looked into the pair of dark, molten molasses and smiled. This was where she belonged.

Relenting to the tagging on her arm, she shifted her son up along her arm and prompted her legs to follow the lead.

Sighing, she slowly lowered herself onto the leather couch with much relief. The mid summer's night was as humid as Konoha could ever get; not even the occasional passing by breeze could relieve the pressing heat that made her skin tingle uncomfortably. It wasn't until she stepped foot into the house she shared with Itachi that the restlessness seeped out and disappeared into thin air. As if a plug was pulled, all anxiety and edginess drained away from her. Coolness washed over her, and a huge stone in her chest dropped. She was home.

She watched with contentment at her son resting in her mother-in-law's arms across from her seat. Completely at ease, the Uchiha matriarch rocked her baby expertly; a soft, soothing coo on her lips that put the tot back to sleep without much of a fuss. The mask of serene and the unyielding aura melted away, and suddenly she found herself seeing a much younger Uchiha Mikoto cradling an infant Sasuke (or was it Itachi?) in her arm as she sway the baby to sleep… the thought made her smile.

"I was on my way to visit you in the hospital when Mikoto-san called me. I didn't expect you to be out of the hospital so soon, Sakura."

Her eyes went to her mother who, very much like herself, was gazing at the peaceful image of her son and the gentle woman of the Uchiha clan. "I don't like to waste time lying in bed, Kaa-san."

"Resting your body is not wasting time, Sakura. You've just given birth, and getting out of the bed after only five hours does not count as resting."

"Five hours is plenty; enough for me to recover, Kaa-san."

Sayuri's exasperated sigh did little to convey the underlying frustration at her daughter's stubbornness. The family image before her eyes, so much liked her own before, dampened the original force behind her intentions.

To the side, Sakura's grasped Itachi's wrist, who sat quietly by her side surveying the scene, and toyed with the long digits. The meaningless tangle of fingers soothed her as much as the shared silence in the room. Even Fugaku, who stood stoically behind his wife looked soften around the edges.

"We haven't heard from Tsunade-sama yet, Sakura."

The inquiry brought her eyes to a pair of midnight eyes bordering with lush lashes. Uchiha Mikoto's eyes be told of restrained excitement and curiosity that the meaning behind the simple statement became clear all too quickly.

"His name?" She added.

Feeling Itachi's eyes on her, she tightened her fingers and gazed up into the pair of obsidian and smiled. They had talked about the possible names of their newly born when the time came, and she had outdone herself with lists upon lists of names. They never decided a name, not until the time when the Tsunade brought their son to them with a form in hand. And even then, the exchange was done silently, not a word spoken.

"Uchiha… Kazuki."

For the first time, Fugaku spoke with a tinge of pride in his voice. "Kazuki, a strong name fit for the heir of the Uchiha. Well named."

She decided against the idea to tell her father-in-law that though they have chosen the name Kazuki as the name for their son, the kanji characters possessed an entirely different meaning than the one she suspect Fugaku was thinking. At this, she squeezed Itachi's hand. He had been the one who chose the characters, after all.

A sudden bawl jolted her attention from Fugaku as she frantically searched the faces until her eyes landed on a eyes glistening, sobbing Haruno Sayuri.

"_Anata_, our little baby has grown up. Even though I encouraged her to be a normal civilian instead of following your footsteps, she still wants to go to the academy—"

"Kaa-san!" She shouted with dismay. Her mother just _had_ to break down now of all times.

"—and now look at her: a fine kunoichi, a married woman and a _mother_! Kami has been very kind to us since you left…"

She watched tears roll down her mother's cheeks as her mother mumbled lowly. Her heart went out to the woman who single-handedly raised her after her father's status changed from an active shinobi to killed-in-action. And though as embarrassed as she was, she couldn't find it in herself to blame her mother for her rather impulsive outburst.

Mikoto patted Sayuri's shoulders and then reached out to take the tissue from Fugaku's outstretching hand. Said woman handed the thin piece of tissue to a still sobbing Sayuri, who thanked weakly before blowing her nose loudly.

Sakura looked helplessly towards the pair of women sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch across.

"I am sure your husband will be extremely proud of your daughter. She is such a wonderful daughter-in-law." A reassuring smile was sent her way from the Uchiha matriarch. "And a grandson, too."

Haruno Sayuri looked up from the mass of tissue accumulated on her lap with watery eyes and nodded with agreement at the sleeping babe in Mikoto's arm. "Yes. Yes, grandchildren. They are lovely."

The serene smile on the Mikoto's face suddenly took on an impish turn. "I think two is a great number."

Her mother shook her head frantically. "No, three is a better."

"Three?" Mikoto tilted her head with mock contemplation then beamed. "Three it is."

"Wait… wait a minute here," suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, she started to protest, "Kaa-san, Mikoto-san, I've just given birth not a day ago!"

Sayuri, all tears and tissues forgotten, nodded with an index finger pointing to the bottom of her chin and thought out loud, "Yes, that is true. In that case, we'll have to start you on the supplements that all your wonderful neighbors suggested."

"What?"

"Yes, I agree on that as well. Sakura-chan should probably take at least a month off to rest properly," Mikoto intoned.

"A month!" She voiced weakly. She didn't dare to meet Itachi's eyes, knowing that all she'll find there was a string of endless amusement on her expense. No help there _at all!_

"Now, now, Sakura-chan. There is no need to get upset over this matter. Your mother and I insisted you give us more grandchildren, and I'm afraid that is the end of this matter." Elegant fingers waved casually in the air. "Sakura-chan take little Kazuki-kun to sleep for now. We can talk more about the _details_ tomorrow."

She stood stiffly with Itachi supporting her waist as she carefully lifted Kazuki from Mikoto's arm. As they made their way down the hall, she inwardly wondered just what had she gotten herself into…

* * *

If anything, the first two weeks were simply chaotic. Erratic sleeping times coincided with even more abnormal supper hours had her drained to the bones. With little Kazuki demanding her entire attention, she had little time for herself. She had heard stories from mothers caring for their newborns in the hospital before her pregnancy. And though she had mentally prepared herself, nothing seemed to go the same way as she had thought.

The one month postpartum recovery, as Mikoto had insisted putting her under, was just as it sounded: an entire month of sitting in and rest. It was an ancient practice rarely done among their profession simply because of inconveniences of burdening the family when the village needed every hand they could get. Mikoto, however, would not yield to her protests.

The full extend of this practice was to avoid anything strenuous to the body, and for that fact, she was essentially placed under house arrest and under the watch of her mother-in-law, whose demands persisted in every way possible when it came to the care of her daughter-in-law. To put it bluntly, no outdoor activities and nothing sort of shinobi practice was allowed, least she strain herself. Housework was entirely off the limits, and unless Kazuki was handed to her, she was prevented from carrying her son or lifting him into her arm in the event of permanently hurt her back while in recovery. All windows were sealed shut during this period, something to do with the potential of her catching a cold with the breeze fanning across her face.

A perfect bonding time between mother and daughter-in-law, as Mikoto would put it. But she was starting to suspect the ginger tea and the numerous soups prepared by none other than Mikoto herself; though these homemade broths 'help replenish what she lost in childbirth', her trained taste buds informed her of an addition of ingredient that served for another purpose entirely. She understood that the postpartum recovery meant bed rest, and a lot of it. However, a patter was starting to develop after each meal; without fault, she would be suddenly swarmed with an intense fatigue moment later after the food was consumed and was forced to half crawl, half climb into her bed.

And that was with just the Uchiha matriarch in action. With her mother added into the equation occasionally…. Well, she would be expected to stay in bed the entire day in the very least. Recalling the last time she was ushered back into her bed while her mother-in-law and her mother took over their house was ludicrous at its finest, however funny it may be. Then as she pushed away her hair from her face, wet from perspiration with the thick futon wrapped about her person, she wondered how had she gotten into this prediction, she overheard the hushed, albeit heated conversation originated from the kitchen. With the soft clinks of kitchenware and chimes of china, she could only imagine the two women who bodily trapped her in her room were cooking up another fresh recipe from Kami knew where.

The medic in her abided with the ridiculous rules because she knew she needed the time to heal, but the kunoichi part abhorred idea of not doing _anything_. It bore too much of a resemblance to her previous weakness. Despite knowing her confinement was only temporary and would end soon, she decided to keep herself busy with mental work instead. So far, she had read through the block of medical text she never had the chance to touch twice, the study of genjutsu as well as an introduction of the varies of doujutsu once, borrowed from the clan's library, and then there was the dictionary-sized record of ninjutsu in the shinobi countries she current read. But knowing fairly well what would happen if Mikoto found out about her little habit (it's strenuous to the mind, not the body!), she managed to hide the books in a place she knew the Uchiha matriarch would never find: the underside of the cradle.

Her eyes went to the sturdy crib stationed a little ways from the rice-paper-covered window. The little form huddled in his blanket basked under the soft moonlight and the gradually lightening sky painted the scene with serenity. The gentle breathing in her ears told her the toddler was sleeping as peacefully as a baby would. Her lips quirked up wearily.

Her body was slowly adjusting itself to the periodic feeding time. That was how she had woken up three in the morning to her son's restless stirring among hand-woven sheets. As quiet as she could manage, she had untangled herself from the solid mass of warm molded to her side and crawled out of bed.

Having fed a now sleeping contently Kazuki, she leaned against the wood bars and gaze down with maternal pride, albeit sluggish, at the motionless tot. She unfurled the little digits curling at the end of her sleeve lightly and tucked the thin sheet of blanket around the fragile little figure. A finger reached out involuntarily and grazed slightly against a rosy cheek. Of all the things she had been through… she could get used to this.

Greedily, she stole a last glance over the shoulder at the calming sleeping babe then turned towards her abandoned bed.

In the still-lit moonlight, she made out the aristocratic features and the angular jaw line of her husband. The twin line carved down the side of the bridge of his nose seemed to etch deeper into the skin than she remembered. Itachi had been nothing but accommodating these past weeks. Though she could count single-handedly the times she saw him these past weeks, in the times she did saw him, he had always been the silent support behind her. A sense of worry welled up; he had not gotten the amount of sleep he needed. During the rare moments she could curl up against his side for her usual afternoon catnaps, she would catch him leaving her side to take care of clan business, 'to better ease him into his duties' Fugaku had said. And now with the clan pressing even harder for their cause, her anxiety was morphing into an ugly, living thing, constantly gnawing at her conscious.

The nagging reminder flared into life at the back of her mind: words that were uttered and hinted here and there these past weeks. The matter of her supposed retirement. Now with Kazuki born, the pressure nearly doubled. The elders were hardly discouraged with the matter, and seemed hell-bent on forcing her into retirement in order to better 'fulfill her duties as the future wife of the head of the clan'. Ever since that day she overheard Fujio's failed attempt to pull her off the roster, the clan had been grudgingly tedious in their endeavors to 'set her straight'.

Thoughts flowing, she didn't notice she was staring into a pair of gleaming obsidian until he blinked and broke the trance. It didn't take her more than two seconds to understand the unspoken demand, one that she didn't mind obeying.

She glided towards the edge of the bed and climbed onto the sheets. With a land circling her arm, he helped her to his side. Then he wound an arm around her midsection while the other went under her nape to dive into her tousled hair. Tucking her against his side and underneath his chin, he uttered a single word.

"Sleep."

She gladly obliged. She would worry about the clan later; for now, she would quietly lay in wait and regain her strength.

* * *

Just two more days, was what she told herself.

For the past week, her idiotic, blond ex-teammate and self-proclaimed godfather of Kazuki had meticulously visited their house everyday. She could take a guess as to why he had decided to come exactly at noon, but she had to conserve her energy for another matter, such as kicking him out of the house for the loud and obnoxious things sprouted from his mouth. As much as she appreciated Naruto's enthusiasm to her 'release', repeating the list of things they (ex-Team Seven) would do like a broken record was simply too much for both Kazuki and her ears. So much that poor Kazuki would scrunch up his face when placed within the vicinity of one Uzumaki Naruto, like he had a built-in sensor specifically tuned in to the loud blond, and then quickly followed up by a loud wail before the waterworks start. After a few episodes in which the future Hokage-in-training attempted varies facial expressions to cheer up her tot, whose face was an angrily red from bawling, and a few unrestrained right hook later, the blond finally learned to give up with all his ineffective… tactics in hopes of winning any favors from the babe Uchiha, much to her inner, morbid amusement.

Even though she did not show it, the restlessness, awaken courtesy of Naruto's loud bellows, was making her edgy. Having being restricted in her own house for almost a month with little to distract her from the mind-numbing boringness, she too, wanted a release of some kind. Any kind.

Standing by the entrance and watching the silhouette of one of her best friend disappear behind the Uchiha gates after his most recent visit, she could acutely feel the knotting tension resting in her abdomen. Just two days more…

"Sakura-san."

Startled out of her daze, she reined her attention back as calmly as she could. Following the path of the sound, she pinpointed one of the clansmen making his way towards her from under the eaves. Her stomach twisted with a vengeance when her brain finally linked the face of the man with a name.

A top officer in the Konoha Police Force, one of the loyal followers of the elders in the clan upon their beck and call—Uchiha Yashiro.

Inside her mind, she heard herself growled. Another one of the elders' messengers… Ever since she returned to the Uchiha compound with the news of her pregnancy, they have been coming none stop. Persuasion, coercion, they pretty much had a hand in her periodic migraine every now and then. But they all knew they were running out of time. The allotted extra one-month period for her to rejuvenate had been a near interrogation that was both trying on her nerves and patience, and now with the month almost over, they were coming in everyday. Something she did not appreciate, now of all times.

"Yashiro-san," she acknowledged with a swift nod. If anything, she learned to hold her composure at least on the outside. Losing her gripe on her emotions would never get her anywhere with _these_ people. "To what do I owe this… pleasure?"

"Shouldn't you be resting in doors instead of risking catching a cold out here?"

Inwardly, she made a face at the scornful, man-in-command words concealed just barely underneath false concern. Even Neji could do better; at least he was direct and straight to his point than this man's acting.

"I was just seeing my friend off, Yashiro-san. Nothing to worry about, I assure you." She waved towards the iron gate separating the district from the rest of the village. Certain that the man had been observing her longer than she cared to think of, she knew he saw Naruto leaving the house.

"Then certainly as _friend_, he should understand that your current delicate situation requires cautious and delicate handling."

Her mind bristled at the underlying meaning as well as the blatant insult to her best friend and ex-teammate. Oh, the nerve! As much as she wanted to just give him a piece of her mind on the consequences of bullying her friend, she couldn't afford to give them the satisfaction of letting them getting under her skin. Not yet, at least.

"Naruto knows that unlike a porcelain statue, Yashiro-san, I don't break as easy without the _cautious handling_." She tilted her head with feigned innocence, "But where are my manners? Are you here for Itachi? I'm afraid he's on another mission and won't be due until another two days—"

"No, I come to deliver the elders' regards… on certain matters, Sakura-san."

"Then you are welcome to discuss it inside." She pointed a finger towards the still open door and flashed a smile. "I think the wind is getting to me after all," Then without waiting for him to respond, she turned and went in. The shift of air behind her told her he had followed her inside.

"Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," came the stiff reply.

Mikoto had gone out to the local market while her mother was on her routine trip down the neighborhood for her weekly gossips. So finally having the house all to herself for once, she moved towards the crib pushed into the living room by Naruto and lifted Kazuki into her arms. Choosing the comfy, cushy couch to her left, she sat herself down and made herself comfortable.

Having a dozing Kazuki resting on her lap calmed her more than anything. And if she had to endure the conversation with the insufferable man for any period of time she deemed unnecessary, than she needed all the patience she could muster at her disposal. With Kazuki near her, she wouldn't feel the need to grab anything throwable within her vicinity and chuck it at the Uchiha should he overstep the line.

Seeing the rigid form standing near the shoji, she waved the man over. "Please sit."

Sitting himself fluidly on the couch across from hers, he straightened and began.

"Regarding your status—"

"Yashiro-san," she interrupted, her fingers playing with the deliberate, fray ends of Kazuki's blanket, "I'm sure you've heard of my previous answers from the elder, and that answer hasn't changed."

A frown adorned on the face grazed with age, and the pair of signature onyx eyes cut a look towards her. "I'm aware of your past response to the elder's request. But you must consider your position in the clan; defying the elders' wishes won't not bore well as an example to the future generation."

"And I hope you can understand my standing both within the village and the clan. I have my obligations to fulfill and I choose to _not_ give up any of my duties, neither to the village or the clan."

"The elder's has been lenient towards your flouts, Sakura-san."

The sharp, verbal jab at her was not helping her mood. She returned flatly, "They asked the impossible, Yashiro-san."

"And how would you perform your duties in the clan if you are out of the village?" he asked, the scornfulness completely unmasked.

"There are ways around things, Yashiro-san. Surely you understand?"

"Mikoto-san may not always be there to take care of your housework, Sakura-san. And it is not fitting for a wife of the clan head to abandon her status within the clan. It is unheard of and unorthodox."

"My schedules are adjustable."

"Sakura-san, this will get us nowhere."

"As I have warned you."

The silence stretched and the tension strung as tight as a bowstring waiting to snap as she held the hard gazes of one Uchiha Yashiro. The older Uchiha was almost as hard to read as Itachi, but having sunk into the two pools of obsidian that was her other half's eyes more often than not, she managed to catch a fleeting gleam of calculation and disdain before it disappeared into oblivion. Then she saw the edge of his eyes harden subtly, and she knew that whatever he choose to say next would not be pleasant.

"I have heard your answer, Sakura-san, and shall report it to the council." He stood up tall and looked at her through his nose. "You have forced the council to make an unfavorable decision today, Sakura-san. Regrettably, even after the good graces the elders presented you, your persistence in stumping their wishes had tried their patience many times over, and this will not continue. Know that the council and the elders will take action in response to your answer."

She barely concealed the snort bubbling up her throat. She couldn't say she was surprised to hear that all the crime landed onto her when it came to dealings with the council and the elders of the clan. They have the tendency to place blames on everyone but themselves.

Uchiha Yashiro moved and stopped her from getting up from her seat. And just as she thought she would be left in peace when the man pushed open the heavy wooden doors, he stopped in her line of view and turned halfway, showing her his profile in the sunny background. A slightly surprised Mikoto, with a basket looped on one arm while the other reached out to the door, now froze in the air, stood no more than two paces away from the still-like-statue Uchiha man. The mask of mild curiosity quickly overtook the shock as her eyes rolled from Uchiha Yashiro to her.

The man, completely ignoring the present Uchiha matriarch, shifted his eyes towards her and tossed a parting message over his shoulder with a sneer. "Itachi at least earned his pride with his blood. You, an outsider, would never understand the pride of an Uchiha. You will learn your place, _woman_."

She watched as the pile of leaves swept the front entrance of her home half a heartbeat later. Mikoto's outraged protests drowned in her ears, her eyes hardened with resolve. Standing up, she carefully placed a sleeping Kazuki back into his cradle and tucked the blankets to his chin, then she turned to fall under the worry appraise of her mother-in-law.

"Sakura…"

She shook her head once. It was two more days she could no longer wait. She took two seconds to calm herself enough to form a reasonably sensible sentence.

"Mikoto-san. Please take care of Kazuki while I'm gone—"

"Sakura-chan, your one-month—"

Feeling the barely contained rage burning in her chest and the familiar surge of chakra coursing in her veins and through her system, she hissed out the last ounce of civility she could muster before walking past the rooted, older Uchiha woman and towards the village.

"I'm going to the Hokage tower."

Outsider? _Like hell_.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know...this chapter definitely topped my overdue list. I've explained the reasoning in my LJ, but I doubt anyone bothered to read it there, so I'll say it again here. Originally this story is planned to have only three chapters tops, and yes this is supposed to be the end of this story. But after being inactive with this story and then rereading it, I realized that it'd be a waste if I just let it end here... so I replotted the story. That was a few weeks before. This chapter is also an entirely new chapter; I throw the draft before this one into the recycle bin, I think.

I kind of, sort of, maybe rushed this one a little too much, so I'll have to apologize for the large word blocks in the middle of the story. This is a transition chapter, so there really isn't much to write about without dragging it out too much. And for those who recognized the "one month postpartum recovery", hooray for you. I really don't know rather Japanese people does the same practice as the Chinese do, so don't take my word for it. But since the chance come up, I just thought 'why not?'.

I'm sure you can all tell that I've been putting off naming their son as long as possible. It gave my quite a headache trying to figure out what name would fit best. But here is the characters I mentioned above. The first one is what Fugaku assumed it to be, but they actually named him with the second set of kanji characters:

一輝: one, radiance/shine.

和希: harmony, hope.

(Taken from Behind the Name)

I think I've finished rambling and will now go and hide under a pile of rocks. A belated thank you to all my readers for your patience and support. Comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Envo 05/27


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